Background: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is used for treatment of sessile and flat colonic adenomas. There is limited data comparing polyp recurrence between piecemeal and en-bloc resections.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence density and predictive factors for polyp recurrence after piecemeal and en-bloc resections.
Methods: Patients undergoing EMR of flat or sessile adenomas≥10 mm were included. Incidence density (ID) and incidence rate ratio (IRR) of polyp recurrence were calculated. Predictive factors for recurrence were assessed by multivariate analysis using logistic regression.
Results: A total of 105 patients (males 54, mean age 68) with 121 polyps were included. Sixty-seven polyps (mean size±SD, 23.3±9.2 mm) were resected piecemeal and 54 polyps (mean size 14.7±5.1 mm) were resected en-bloc. There were 12 recurrences in the piecemeal group and two in the en-bloc group. The ID of polyp recurrence in the piecemeal group was 13.1 (95% CI 7.43-23.03) and in the en-bloc group was 2.7 (95% CI 0.67-10.78) per 100 person-years of follow-up. Piecemeal resections were 5.5 (95% CI 1.1-30.48, P=0.045) times and flat polyps were 6.6 (95% CI 1.22-35.53, P=0.028) times more likely to result in recurrence compared to en-bloc resections and sessile polyps, respectively. In the piecemeal group, additional use of argon plasma coagulation (APC) did not affect the recurrence (OR 0.46, P=0.29).
Conclusions: Piecemeal resections and flat polyps are associated with higher recurrence following EMR. Additional use of APC did not affect the recurrence rates after piecemeal resection.